Appeal to the ministry to freeze plans for new settlements

- TEL AVIV - Preliminary development plans for Jewish settlements including the possible construction of 55,548 dwellings have been drawn by the Israeli Building Ministry, said Peace Now, which invoked the immediate freeze of the plan. Peace Now clarified in a detailed report that 11,543 dwelling have been planned in Maale' Adumin and in the nearby area of E-1, linking the town-settlement to East Jerusalem. A Jewish settlement in E-1, warned Peace Now, "would cut the West Bank in two and stand in the way of the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian State". Peace Now added that it had also discovered other plans for the building of thousands of dwellings east of the Security Barrier and, more generally, for the enlargement of the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem.The actual realisation of the plan "could take years". Its execution "is not only in contrast with (Israeli) promises to the United States - stressed the NGO - but also seriously threatens the possibility to reach a Two-State-Solution". That is why Peace Now is calling on Israeli Minister of Building, Yoav Galant, to freeze those plans "and focus instead on the provision of housing within the Israeli national territory". (ANSAmed).